Canonical has announced the end of support for Bazaar (bzr) within Launchpad, a decision that may come as a surprise given that Bazaar is the version control system (VCS) that Canonical itself helped develop. While Launchpad functions similarly to GitHub, allowing users to create repositories and manage code, the waning popularity of Bazaar has prompted Canonical to rethink its ongoing reliance on this software.
The timeline for this decision involves two key phases. The first phase will see the web frontend for browsing bzr code shutting down imminently, though users will still be able to pull, push, and merge changes. The second phase, scheduled for September 1, 2025, will remove the backend for Bazaar code hosting entirely, requiring users to migrate their repositories to alternative platforms such as Git.
Despite Bazaar’s legacy as a foundational tool for many Ubuntu developers, Canonical’s move reflects its declining usage over the past decade. This transition is not merely technical; it signals a broader cultural shift within the Ubuntu development community, where many long-time users might find it hard to envision a future without Bazaar.
Users who still rely on Bazaar to manage their code should take immediate steps to migrate their projects. Resources are available to assist with this transition. Although this change may not affect many in the wider community, it marks a significant moment in the history of Ubuntu’s development tools.
For further information and migration assistance, users are encouraged to consult related resources.